Highlights

• Hillside setting on the quieter eastern side of the Ngorongoro Crater rim, near Lemala Gate
• Crater-floor access in 10 to 15 minutes for first-light game drives
• Twenty generously sized suites with wood stoves, picture windows and forest views
• Indoor heated swimming pool and double-volume lounge with outdoor fire deck
• Private full-catered lunches on the crater floor, offered by very few properties
• Secluded forest spa suite with daily treatments

You Should Know

• Crater-rim altitude means cool nights; warm layers are recommended year-round
• Ngorongoro Conservation Area entry fees, concession fees, game drives and airstrip transfers are charged separately
• Two-bedroom suites suit families or friends travelling together; triples available on request
• Champagne and premium drinks are charged in addition to the included house bar

The Details

Location

Lemala Osonjoi Lodge sits on a hill just back from the Ngorongoro Crater rim, on the eastern side of the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. The eastern quadrant sees fewer visitors than the west, particularly first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon, the critical hours for game viewing.

The lodge is the latest addition to the Lemala portfolio and forms part of a circuit that begins at Hamerkop House in Arusha, runs through Mpingo Ridge in Tarangire, then on to Nanyukie and Kuria Hills in the Serengeti. Guests arrive by road from Arusha, Tarangire or Manyara, or fly into Manyara Airstrip on the escarpment wall above Lake Manyara. The name Osonjoi comes from the trees that grow throughout the area, which hold symbolic and medicinal significance for the Maasai.

Accommodation

The 20 guest suites comprise 16 standard suites and two two-bedroom suites, spaced well apart for privacy. Each standard suite has a king-size bed, slow-burning wood stove, winter-weight duvet and hot water bottles for the cool crater-rim nights. The en-suite bathroom includes a dressing area, flush toilet and large walk-in shower, and picture windows frame views over the surrounding forest.

The two-bedroom suites suit families and small groups, and feature an oversized bed, spacious lounge and generous bathroom with double vanity, indoor shower and free-standing bathtub. A purpose-built day bed nook offers a quiet corner for reading at the end of a safari day. Triple-share configurations are available on request.

Dining

The main double-volume area houses the lounge, bar and dining room, with an outdoor viewing deck warmed by an open fire and access to an indoor heated swimming pool. Osonjoi is one of very few Ngorongoro properties licensed to provide full catered lunches at a private site on the crater floor, allowing guests to spend an entire safari day below the rim without returning to the lodge.

Activities

Game drives are the focus of the stay, with vehicles leaving as early as 6.00am to reach the crater floor in the first light. Escorted walks along the crater rim and into the forest are offered with an armed ranger and a Maasai guide. The Ngorongoro Crater holds Africa's densest concentration of large mammals, including resident populations of lion, elephant, buffalo, the endangered black rhino and large herds of plains game.

Spa

A separate spa suite is set among the trees, giving guests a secluded forest setting for treatments. Therapists offer a daily menu of treatments designed around rest and recovery between game drives.

Price Includes

• Accommodation in suites on a full board basis
• All meals
• House drinks
• Wi-Fi
• Laundry